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embossed red & black hardcover 8vo. (octavo). dustwrapper in protective plastic book jacket cover. vg cond. binding square & tight. covers clean. top of spine has sunfading. couple of corners rubbed through. edges have tiny fox spots. contents free of markings. dustwrapper in good cond. missing 1" piece on rear, 2" tear on front, spine top chipped. first edition . first printing so stated. endpaper maps. decorative title pg. xi+302p.notes. index. world history. world war ii. nazi germany. cold war. third reich. ~ The Fourth and Richest Reich is the dramatic story of postwar Germany's rise from the ashes of crushing defeat to its present status as an international economic super~power. Written in highly readable terms, Edwin Hartrich's account probes the fortuitous circumstances, innovative thinking, and daring leadership that transformed a pariah among nations into a stunning example of success. Tracing contemporary German history from the Second Reich's expansionist quest for a "place in the sun," through the notorious Third Reich's demonic drive for more "living space," to the Fourth Reich's extraordinary achievements, Hartrich explains Germany's evolution from traditional "geopolitics," based on the notion that a country's destiny is determined by its geographical location and features, to the revolutionary new concept of "ecopolitics." Postwar Germany's worldwide industrial bridgeheads, built on Volkswagens and sophisticated machinery rather than U~boats and tanks, have at last provided the breathing space which both Kaiser Wilhelm and Adolf Hitler failed to secure. Out of Germany's darkest hour, when the occupied nation passed through a traumatic period of demilitarization, there emerged a new breed of leaders, dedicated to economic recovery and sweeping reforms. Focusing on these statesmen, industrialists, and bankers, Hartrich brings a fascinatingly human dimension to his narrative. Towering personalities such as Konrad Adenauer, Ludwig Erhard, and American General Lucius D. Clay are vividly portrayed, as are countless other pivotal figures. Analyzing the complex inner workings of the German system. Hartrich shows how the country broke with its turbulent, aggressive past to achieve "capitalism with a conscience," a socially responsible free~market economy. He studies the workings of womb~to~tomb social welfare, explores the German "security syndrome," and outlines the important roles played by organized labor, industry, the business and banking communities, political parties, and American administrators whose foresight survived the height of the Cold War. Finally, addressing himself to the growing chorus of voices that questions economic growth at the expense of political, cultural, and social values, the author looks ahead to Germany's future role in a rapidly changing world. Rigorously examining Europe's most successful economic system since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, The Fourth and Richest Reich is a compelling study of a truly modern miracle.
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